The seals of the book opened in Revelation 5 were all about the plans and purposes of God for creation – choosing a man (Abraham) to bring forth a pure nation (Israel) in order to bring forth the pure seed (Jesus) as God had promised Eve in Genesis and to eventually have the whole earth saturated with His glory. This will be the dispensation of God, when heaven and earth are brought together. Israel did bring forth the seed, but spurned the glory which God wanted to reveal through them by refusing to accept Jesus as their Messiah and killing the seed. Israel became a harlot, because the nation continuously turned away from God and worshiped idols instead. Revelation 17, 18 and 19 talks about Israel as Babylon, the harlot reaping a harvest of judgment. Revelation 10 talks about an angel with a rainbow over his head, legs like pillars of fire and a little book in his hand. This is Jesus coming with the cloud of witnesses, the rainbow over his head symbolic of a redeemed people after judgment, his legs like pillars of fire – symbolic of a people being led out by the Spirit. His one is foot on the land and one on the sea, speaking of all peoples and nations on earth being one in Christ. The book in his hand is an open, unsealed book – the revelation of Jesus Christ. The open revelation of Christ is as follows: Jesus came to reveal the glory of God – manifesting God in the flesh. The glory of God is his character, nature and essence. Christ in us is the hope of the brightness of this glory. This glory is the Spirit abiding in us. He is the hope, the guarantee, the pledge, down payment and seal of ownership, first-fruits, the seal and a guarantee of authenticity as well as a mystery. While we have this hope of the glory in us, creation (and we) is waiting and groaning for the revealing of the full glory of God through us, in order for creation (and us) to be liberated from frustration and corruption. We are awaiting our adoption – the redemption of our bodies, the full manifestation of the glory, to be conformed to the very image of Jesus and being placed as fully matured sons. The Spirit himself makes intercession for us towards this goal so that we can be to the praise of the glory of God. There is coming an appearance of Christ when we shall appear with him in glory. All flesh shall see the Glory of God in us – that is His will for us. If God is for us, who can be against us?
